Limerick Sights and Landmarks Guide, Ireland

Limerick Sights – A city with a rich cultural heritage

Limerick, a charming city on the shores of the River Shannon, draws thousands of tourists every year with its many attractions. Although much of its suburbs are recently built, the city centre is brimming with a rich history, and there are more than enough monuments to prove this. If you are interested in historical sites, there are plenty of places that you will definitely enjoy visiting.

Limerick Sights – Museums

Limerick’s museums might not be as numerous as Cork’s or Dublin’s, but they possess great collections. The most famous museum in the city is the Hunt Museum, sheltered by a beautiful 18th century building on Rutland Street. The collection, donated by the wealthy Hunt family, contains over 2000 items, some of which date back to ancient times. Pieces of interest are a sketch by Pablo Picasso, and a bronze horse designed by da Vinci. Another museum worth visiting is the Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum, founded at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum documents Limerick’s history as far back as the Middle Ages. The displays of traditional local crafts and period photographs are particularly interesting. Limerick City Art Gallery has a permanent display of paintings from the 18th, 19th and 20th century, including several paintings by the famous Irish artist Jack Butler Yeats.

Limerick Sights – Historical Sites

Limerick’s most famous historical building is King John’s Castle, a medieval fortress built close to the River Shannon at the orders of King John of England. The castle was built on the site of a Viking settlement, uncovered during the construction of a visitor’s centre. This Limerick Sights Guide recommends walking along the battlements of the castle for a breath-taking view of the entire city.

Adare, a small village on the outskirts of Limerick, is a tiny time capsule on the banks of River Maigue. One of the village’s main points of interest is the thatched cottages and timbered houses that were preserved for centuries. In short, Adare looks like a town out of a fairy tale. Don’t forget to visit the Augustinian Priory, the Franciscan Abbey and Desmond Castle, beautifully preserved medieval buildings against the backdrop of Ireland’s green hills.

Limerick Sights – Churches and Cathedrals

Limerick has a relatively large number of churches compared t its size. One of the most notable examples of sacred architecture in the city is St Mary’s Cathedral, a Church of Ireland cathedral in the English Town district. The cathedral has a rich history and it is one of Ireland’s oldest and most important medieval buildings. The city’s only other cathedral is St John’s, built in an elaborate Georgian style. St John’s can boast of being the tallest building in Limerick, thanks to its 94m tall spire which can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. In the suburbs there are many small churches to be found, and some of them are quite old. The Limerick Sights Guide recommends taking a walk in one of the many old cemeteries around the city; you can see some beautiful Irish Crosses made of stone, and some of them are hundreds of years old.